Takashi Nishikiori
Takashi Nishikiori (錦織 隆, Nishikiori Takashi) used to be the leader of the pyramid group. He posed as a doctor to gain influence over others and used this to his own ends to make people work for him in return of letting them live. Appearance Takashi is a tall slim man. He has wild messy brown hair and rather small eyes. He wears a shirt with a long jacket over it. He also wears white pants with a black belt. He wears expensively looking shoes that shine so much that it looks like they have never been worn. He wears a different ring on each of his fingers. Personality After coming to the island Takashi has turned into an evil man. He uses fear to control people into doing everything he wants. He does not care for the well-being of his followers sending them into unstable narrow paths that could kill them. A sadistic sociopath as well as a megalomaniac, Takashi takes a sick delight in torturing other physically, mentally, or emotionally, and has no qualms with targeting the weak or helpless, and seems to have a bitterness towards women. He later reveals he is not a doctor at all, but merely pretended to be one to gain power and sway over others - His medical knowledge all came from working pharmaceuticals. Chronology Pyramid arc He is first mentioned by Daigo Yashiro as a monstrous and cruel person. When their group fell ill at some unknown disease, he developed a cure and revealed himself as a doctor. However, to receive the sure he ordered the others to agree to become his slaves. In the end, everyone agreed including their original leader, Watanabe, whose daughter was also ill. Takashi refused him and laughed as the pair died since he needed Watanabe out of the way for him to successfully be the new leader. Since Daigo's and Junichi Mutou's escape, he has continued excavation of the Pyramid. Akira Sengoku and Ryouichi Suzuki approach the Pyramid camp, claiming to have been lost in the forest. Though suspicious, he shows the two around. He explains that they have excavated a tunnel and discovered a mysterious animal skull in the process of losing several lives. Akira is disturbed as Takashi cares more for the excavation than the lives that were lost. He then orders Akira to enter the tunnel but Akira refuses as Takashi just told him people died in there. However, Takashi tells him that this is an order and not a request, questioning if Akira understood the rules of his group. He easily sees through their story as he notes Akira's quickened pulse and pupil dilation indicate he is lying. Seeing as Daigo hated him, he correctly guesses that Akira had come to investigate his activities. To find out more, he proceeds to torture Akira and Ryouichi using a pen to attack choice areas of their body that would cause indescribable pain. He is somewhat impressed when Akira resists him as even adults could not stand it. He is pleased when Ryouichi immediately reveals the information he desired. Ryouichi claimed there were ten people altogether and when Takashi counted 8, Suzuki reasoned that Daigo and Junichi were with them and left (half true)he pauses but accepts this logic. Convinced, Akira takes Ryouichi into the tunnel but Takashi stops them and says that the entire group should go instead. Akira tried to resist him but he used Kanako Oomori as a hostage. He orders them to find something more valuable than the animal skull. The group descends. Later, he drops Kanako into her jail which she shares with Ugen Kokonoe. He is pleased that Ugen is well in health when Kanako checks on him, having future plans for him. Ugen said that he played a prank on Takashi who was not amused by it. The members of his group are impressed that Akira's Pyramid Party has survived so long in the Pyramid but he is less optimistic, remarking that their absence was confirmation they had died like the party before them. He orders Shiraishi, Arisa and Katsuragi to enter his tent and warns them that since Akira failed, they would next be sent into the Pyramid and almost certain death, leaving the trio shocked and terrified. He visits Kanako and Ugen in prison and tells them they will execute due to the failure of Akira's Pyramid Party. In an attempt to stall for time, Ugen says that he personally would not execute Kanako, making Takashi to stop on his tracks and enquire what Ugen means. As Ugen describes Kanako is an exotic beauty with a G cup in the least, Takashi's men begin to blush and grow lustful. However, Takashi himself is unconvinced to let her live as he has 'no interest' in large breasts. As he leaves, his men approach him to enquire about having Kanako, he declines but thinks that he needs to give his men 'candy' every once in a while. After, Ugen grumbles that he has no 'passion'. Once Akira and his group exit safely from the Pyramid and reveals all their unbelievable findings inside, he unlike his slaves believes them, citing a facility in Norway as an example. He is amazed at their findings. Rather than his sadistic personality, he adopts a logistical attitude ordering his people to consolidate the tunnel's structure and for a group of men to explore more closely, seemingly with no other interest than eagerness to learn more. He chooses Akira as the leader, praising his leadership qualities and quietly thinking no child to be immune to such 'sweet words', thus surprised when Akira refuses. As cruel provocation, he orders for Kanako and Ugen to die as planned. Akira's Pyramid Party cries for him to stop as they are restrained. He attacks Akira, distorting his sense of equilibrium so he can do no more than quiver and watch. Cruelly, he tells the people that to do by fire is different and worse than dying in a fire due to asphyxiation. He describes burnt bodies he inspected as a doctor, remarking that the fire victims would be unable to even scream. As the fire builds higher to surround Kanako and Ugen, he starts laughing as the others plead or stare in horror. Ugen's Time Bomb causes a strong explosion and Takashi is seen being blasted away. After the explosion, when his men check on his safety, his is to the reader as he quietly clutches his face. As Akira's Pyramid Party begin their escape, Mami Kagura is the slowest. Feeling a tug on her arm, she turns unsuspecting of the danger she is in. A murderous expression on his face, her capturer is Takashi. A face shot reveals that the explosion gave him a cut on his right cheek. Mami is unable to get away from him and so she orders the others to escape as he calls for reinforcements. Enraged that they managed to escape, he threatens Mami with his plans to torture her and crush the bones in her hands and feet to prevent escape and to ruin her face and give her the same wound he has. He is interrupted when Kouichi Yarai appears and tells him to stop it. As Kouichi approaches him, he watches suspiciously as whispers flood his people. Takashi pretends everything is ok (ignoring Kouichi asking what happened) and acts professional, asking Kouichi about who was injured and such. As he inspects Motoko Kurusu, he undresses her and tells her to tell him of any discomfort she feels. After a thoughtful pause, which Kouichi finds suspicious, he ends the diagnosis identifying her illness as caused by stress. However, Kouichi follows him and asks if that was true. Takashi, washing his face, remarks that he did not hide his emotions as well as he could've to calm them since Kouichi found him out. He then reveals Motoko is bleeding internally and doomed to die much to Kouichi's horror. Later, he is applying an ointment made from local ingredients to his cut, he is angry that this cut is on his face of all places and may leave a permanent mark. In a fit of rage directed at Akiras Group, he throws the bowl of ointment to the wall, thinking he won't forgive them. As he watches Kouichi easily defeat Saitou, he smirks evilly. After this, he calls Shiraishi, Arisa and Katsuragi to his tent to learn more about Kouichi, learning he is friends with Akira. He thanks the trio as they exit and rewards them by stopping Saitou from picking on them. He smirks maliciously as he hatches an idea. Takashi approaches Kouichi later and the contents of this conversation are revealed later. Though it is risky, Takashi suggests that he could operate on Motoko but for the price of Akira's life. He asks Kouichi to choose between his best friend or the woman he loves. He is pleased when Kouichi decides to kill Akira and sets off towards The Tower. Failed Experiment arc Takashi is laughing in his tent as he thinks about his plan. He says that he has no idea about Motoko's operation and that she is doomed to die. His humour fades as he eyes set on the two animal skulls he got from the Pyramid, as he inspects the bones, he wonders what kind of horrific monsters were created by the scientists underground. He is disturbed, thinking such things should not exist and wonders if the animals were somehow still alive. Showdown arc Akira's Group has decided to save Motoko. As they speculate how, Daigo tells them that the people wouldn't want to be saved through fear of Takashi instilled by his method of control through whistle blowing which causes his slaves not only to grow wary of each other but also terrified of him. Ugen drops the Gigaflash DX into Takashi's camp, temporarily blinding him and his men. Akira's group uses this opportunity to bind and kidnap Takashi as he is terrified about what is happening to him. Akira's group were unaffected by the Gigaflash DX as Daigo made them shades. Takashi recognises Akira through his voice as one of his kidnappers. His fear is quickly replaced by anger as he thinks of Kouichi as useless in failing to kill Akira. When Asuka Takahashi invites Shiraishi and Arisa to her group. Takashi's eyesight has recovered. The pair starts trembling as Takashi sets a menacing gaze at them. Shiraishi is swinging a piece of wood wildly after hitting Akira on the head to free Takashi. Tears fill his eyes as he mentally apologies to his friends but is too afraid to defy Takashi. It is implied Arisa then cut his ropes and led him away stealthily. The two are nervous but pleased when he thanks them. His eyes narrow as he contemplates the battle that will commence. Seigou Komiyama relates Takashi's control over his slaves to a family of six imprisoned in their home where they were tortured by their own fears. Their growing terror made it impossible for them to try to escape. Later, their tormentor was able to force them to kill each other. To prepare for battle, Takashi arms his men and develops a strategy. When Akira's group attacks with a plan for 'the strongest team', Kouichi’s Group to capture Takashi, all goes well until Kouichi's captive is only a man with similar hair to Takashi wearing his clothes while Takashi laughs at a safe distance away. The real strategy is reveals with all the women being targeted and captured as hostages while Akira's men are helpless to their attacks under threat of the women being hurt or killed. After this beating, Takashi develops a 'game' where the men could attempt to save the women once every hour but their absence or failure meant one woman would be killed so that, in attempting to save them, they ended up killing them. He orders his men to leave their enemies somewhere once they've been soundly beaten but stops men from taking Daigo and Ugen, stating they will be dealt with in jail, meaning that they couldn't use something like the Gigaflash this time. He also keeps Seigou behind in believing their deaths were inevitable. To mentally torture the girls, he tells them to vote on who will die. As his men inspect the women, some of them ask him who he finds most desirable but he is annoyed and responds that he has 'no need' for large or small breasts, asking them to collect the votes. When they don't vote the first time, the second is a 'vote of confidence' so if there was no result, Rion would automatically be voted. This time, the girls are shaking and scared about the result. He is delighted when there is a vote this time. As before, he does not participate when the men arrive to fight again. He appears with Junichi and Ryouichi, laughing at their amateur idea to disguise as women while taking Rion forth for all to see her execution. Irritated when on man asks to rape Rion before her death, he looks away but turns to see Rion is free and has knocked the man unconscious. He is shocked to find all the women have escaped (as well as Daigo and Ugen). He orders the men to target the women, as before, but they are now prepared and fight in impenetrable groups. Akira battles Takashi who stops his men from interfering, claiming he alone is enough. After blinding Akira with dirt, he appears to have the upper hand. He them that Akira is like himself; in control of the rest of them despite Akira's talk about friendships. He says to survive there needs to be a social hierarchy among the survivors. Ryouichi speaks out against him, saying he isn't doing this as he was ordered to but because he wanted to (much to the suspicion of the girls). Shirou Mariya agrees, saying that they are all equals working together to escape from the island. Takashi orders his men to attack but they are reluctant to. Shiraishi speaks out to support Akira, saying he now understands. He tells the others that he understands they are like him and they shouldn't attack. When no one responds to Takashi, Akira tells him that he's already lost and should now perform surgery on Motoko. He starts to laugh at them for their naïveté and that they lost, in the end, because he isn't a doctor. It's revealed in chapter 162 that Takashi is actually not a doctor, but a medical representive, a sales agent from a pharmaceutical company, and that he has by extension some knowledge about illnesses and medicines, but doesn't possess skills necessary to operate on Kurusu-sensei. He feels no remorse for his actions and claims that it felt great. He bases his desire to rule over the others is because of the way doctors treat MRs like himself. Hideo Igarashi and Seigou confirm this after interrogating him by asking questions about his job only and employee would know. Nevertheless, Kanako states she remembers there was an actual doctor in the plane before landing in the island. It is later revealed by Shizuka Hatsuse that Takashi said something suspicious. Akira's group approach him where he is tied to a tree under the watchful eye of Ugen who is reading porn. He politely greets them and says he heard 'that boring guy' was a doctor. He chuckles and wonders aloud if he is really a doctor, much to everyone's irritation. He then reveals that in Guam, he enjoyed some drinks with a doctor. As he was drunk, he found himself inspecting the stars above him for a few hours. When they landed on the island, he used a watch to find north and saw the exact same stars he saw in Guam, saying that they aren't close to Japan but to Guam, unlike what Shirou thought. While Akira and Shirou publicly denounce him, they privately consider the possibility he’s telling the truth and Shirou doesn't think they will survive on the long travel by sea. As they set off for the fourth tower a week later, Ugen is still in charge of watching Takashi who remains bound by ropes while Ugen keeps a grip on him. On the first night, Takashi glares as everyone is asleep, including Ugen a short distance away from him. He hears some rustling in the bushes behind him. He looks back to see Kubo and Saitou freeing him. They plan to escape with him and some women but he refuses. They look surprised but he tells them not to mistake him. He plans to stay with the group as he can see himself in charge once more in the future. Quotes *(ToAkira Sengoku ) "You really don't understand, do you? This is an order... you little liar! " *(To Akira's Group ) "Yeah! I'll let you all watch something fun!" Trivia Category:Characters Category:Male Category:Passenger Category:Nishikiori's Group Category:Alive Category:Featured Article